The Senate Finance Committee voted 14-13 along party lines Tuesday to advance Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s nomination for Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), moving the controversial candidate one step closer to confirmation despite deep divisions over his stance on vaccines and public health policy.
The decision came after extensive deliberations, particularly from Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), who had initially expressed reservations about Kennedy's ability to lead the agency responsible for overseeing federal healthcare policy. Cassidy, a physician and chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, had signaled last week that he was "struggling" with his decision after Kennedy's confirmation hearings, where concerns over his history of vaccine skepticism took center stage.
Ahead of the vote, Cassidy announced his support for advancing Kennedy's nomination, citing assurances from both the nominee and the White House. "Mr. Kennedy and the administration committed that he and I would have an unprecedentedly close collaborative working relationship if he is confirmed," Cassidy said, adding that they had agreed to meet or speak multiple times a month.
Cassidy further emphasized that he would use his role on the Finance Committee to ensure that public access to vaccines remained intact, saying, he would ”rebuff any attempt to remove the public's access to life-saving vaccines without ironclad causational scientific evidence that can be accepted and defended before the mainstream scientific community and before Congress."
Kennedy, a longtime environmental lawyer and activist, has been one of the most prominent figures in the anti-vaccine movement, a position that has drawn sharp criticism from public health officials. His nomination has triggered intense pushback from Democrats, who questioned his ability to oversee HHS impartially. Critics have also raised concerns over his financial ties to vaccine-related litigation, particularly his involvement with a law firm currently suing Merck over the HPV vaccine.
Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), the ranking Democrat on the Finance Committee, and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) penned a letter ahead of the vote, stating that Kennedy's financial arrangements were "plainly inadequate" and that he should fully recuse himself from all vaccine-related decisions. "Vaccine-related decisions" that Kennedy could make as HHS secretary "could result in significant financial compensation for your family," they wrote.
Kennedy, 71, initially ran for president in 2024 as a Democrat before switching to an independent bid, ultimately endorsing former President Donald Trump. His close ties to the Trump administration have helped solidify Republican backing for his nomination, but his controversial views on vaccines and public health continue to divide lawmakers.
During last week's hearings, Kennedy faced sharp questioning from both parties over his past statements linking vaccines to autism, a theory that has been widely debunked by scientific research. Cassidy, who had pressed Kennedy to make an unequivocal statement disavowing the vaccine-autism link, did not confirm whether he received such an assurance before casting his vote.
Public pressure campaigns mounted on both sides in the days leading up to the vote. Kennedy's supporters, including prominent figures in the anti-vaccine movement, flooded Cassidy's office with calls urging him to support the nomination. Meanwhile, Protect Our Care, an organization opposing Kennedy's confirmation, organized a separate effort to pressure Cassidy to vote against him.
Former President Trump weighed in on the controversy just minutes before the vote, posting on Truth Social: "20 years ago, Autism in children was 1 in 10,000. NOW IT'S 1 in 34. WOW! Something's really wrong. We need BOBBY!!! Thank You! DJT." While autism diagnoses have risen in recent decades, scientists attribute the increase to improved screening and changes in diagnostic criteria, not vaccines.